Paris

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Paris hails from the San Francisco Bay Area and was catapulted onto the national scene in 1990 with his hit single 'The Devil Made Me Do It' and album of the same name. Since then his uncompromising stance on political issues and biting social commentary have both aided and hindered his quest to bring solid music and messages to the masses. When his second album, Sleeping With The Enemy, was ready for release in 1992, Paris was dropped from now-defunct Tommy Boy Records and distributor Time Warner when they discovered it's incendiary content - content which included fantasy revenge killings of then-President Bush and racist police officers. Rather than buckle under pressure, he released the LP himself on his newly-formed Scarface Records to major sales and national acclaim.

Paris signed a major artist and distribution deal with Priority Records for himself and Scarface Records in 1993 and released his third LP, Guerrilla Funk, and several then up-and-coming groups, most notably the Conscious Daughters. Paris and Priority formally severed their business relationship due to creative differences in 1995, and in 1997, Paris signed a one-off deal with now-defunct Whirling Records (distributed by Rykodisc), for the release of his 4th LP, Unleashed. Released in limited numbers, the LP went largely unnoticed due to lack of focus and funding.

Flash forward to 2003, where new technology yields newfound artistic freedom. Back for his fifth LP, Paris returns with a vengeance. "Sonic Jihad" injects a much needed dose of reality and consciousness into an industry which now seems to only reflect corporate hip-hop sensibilities. Here Paris emerges with his new label and website, Guerrilla Funk Recordings (www.guerrillafunk.com). Born out of necessity, it's a musical organization that's intended to counter the corporate stranglehold of censorship currently plaguing the entertainment industry. By providing balance in this intolerant climate of suppression of free speech and artistic expression, it serves as a vehicle for those who are unable - not because of lack of talent or relevance - to be heard.

Paris has never been one to shy away from controversy. During his self-imposed hiatus, he has finely tuned one of his most well-crafted projects to date. Never one to mince his words, he is relentless in his quest to match bomb tracks with messages that range from passionate to incendiary. Waging righteous warfare (hence the title) on all that he perceives as being wrong in this current political climate of manufactured fear and "War on Terror," he covers such issues as the New World Order, the manmade origins of AIDS, military lies and propaganda, police brutality and the embarrassing state that hip hop is currently in. A single leaked off of the album, "What Would You Do?' has already been a lightning-rod for controversy in the United States, garnering attention from everyone from The New York Times to MSNBC. With rhymes like, 'Now ask yourself who's the one with the most to gain (Bush) / 'Fore 911 motherf**kas couldn't stand his name (Bush) / Now even n****s waivin' flags like they lost they mind / Everybody got opinions but don't know the time / It's all a part of playin' God so ya think we need'em / While Bin Ashcroft take away ya rights to freedom / Bear witness to the sickness of these dictators / Hope you understand the time brother cause it's major, Paris calls for people to wake up to the so-called war on terrorism we're being fed by the Bush Administration and the media, which he claims is more about the expansion of US Government power over average citizens and corporate profiteering than actual terrorism prevention.

"People are too quick to surrender their rights," warns the rapper. "These wars and policies mean a severe reduction in many of our rights, via enactment of the Patriot Act, which means citizens have no protection against illegal search and seizure, indefinite incarceration, cruel and unusual punishment and no right to a fair and speedy trial. What's more, now our First Amendment rights are in jeopardy, as people who ordinarily would speak out against government injustice are holding their tongues for fear of falling under scrutiny. This is relevant to everyone, but specifically to the hip-hop generation, because we are the ones doing the fighting. We are the ones most likely to fall victim to police misconduct, and we are the ones who will most bear the brunt of the US Government's desire to suppress dissent & weed out 'undesirables'."

And it doesn’t stop there -- the album also features visionary hip-hop groups Dead Prez, Public Enemy and Kam. Add dancehall sensation Capelton to this already impressive lineup and you have a potent molotov cocktail of an album ready to explode.

As one of the few remaining artists who can be relied upon to remain consistent with both his content and his dedication to musical quality, Paris' latest effort will please not only his existing loyal fans, but should prove to gain him many new listeners as well.